BOSTON – Nov. 26, 2018 – Beacon Health Options (Beacon), a leading behavioral health services company, today announced the launch of Beacon Care Services, which provides outpatient mental health therapy in locations, such as retail stores, that promise convenience, privacy and accessibility. This marks Beacon’s entry into the provider services market. The first Beacon Care Services practice is located at the Walmart store located in Carrollton, Texas.

Beacon Care Services practices will help address the shortage of behavioral health care professionals nationwide. Each Beacon Care Services practice is staffed by at least one clinician who will provide compassionate care that addresses every individual’s unique needs, including common mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and stress, grief and relationship issues.

“This initiative combines our company’s behavioral health expertise with our longstanding dedication to making quality care more accessible,” said Russell C. Petrella, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer. “We chose a retail setting for the first practice because it offers the convenience of a local neighborhood location that is close by and easy to get to, and our evening hours accommodate our patients’ schedules. Our online appointment scheduling system makes it easy for people to plan their visits ahead of time to fit into their busy lifestyles.”

One in five adults in the United States at any given time experiences mental health issues, but many do not have access to quality behavioral health care. Studies have shown that, unfortunately, behavioral health issues have cascading effects on people’s physical health and general quality of life. More than 10.1 million Texans live in an area that is considered to have a shortage of mental health care professionals, and only 35 percent of all mental health care needs are met statewide.

“Our hope is to help close this gap by providing more trained clinicians in neighborhoods throughout the country, starting in 2018 with Texas,” said Dr. Petrella.

In addition to this location, Beacon is evaluating other locations that will help further expand access to behavioral health services.